Earlier this month, Minnesota’s public health community honored five people and three groups for outstanding contributions to public health in Minnesota at an awards ceremony held in conjunction with the annual Community Health Conference in the Brainerd area.

At this ceremony, the Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Healthy Communities Leadership received a Certificate of Recognition for their commitment and contributions to advance public health locally. In its 20 years of operation, the MMS Healthy Communities Leadership Team works to coordinate health promotion and maximize its resources. It serves as the community health board’s SHIP community leadership team, provides competitive mini-grants to community projects focused on priority health issues, and coordinates a joint community health needs assessment with local hospitals. Through collaboration, the group tackles priorities together, like creating portable breastfeeding stations and addressing barriers to preschool transportation.

Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm praised the recipients for their service to their communities as well as their work to improve health and reduce health inequities. “We are fortunate in Minnesota to have so many talented and dedicated people working to protect, maintain and improve our health,” Commissioner Malcolm said. “These awards recognize our public health professionals, elected officials, and volunteers for the many ways they help make Minnesota’s residents and communities healthier.”

The Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Healthy Communities Leadership Team (CLT) is currently in the process of planning for their next joint community health assessment (CHA). A CHA is foundational to improving and promoting the health of a community. During the assessment, the community health board (or another lead organization) identifies and describes the health of the community served, the factors that contribute to health challenges, and existing community assets and resources they can mobilize to improve the community’s health. The assessment helps ensure that local resources are directed toward where they can make the greatest and most timely impact. As a part of this process, the CLT is conducting a random sample survey in the mail. If your household happens to receive one of these surveys, please take the time to complete it to help the CLT in planning for the future.

Meeker county is currently updating its Trails Plan and would like your input! Please answer the questions regarding trails in Meeker County via the link provided below. The survey should only take a few minutes and your answers will remain confidential. The survey will remain open until November 15th, 2018. Thank you for your participation.

Minnesota’s adult obesity rate rose to 28.4 percent in 2017 but continued to outperform neighboring states with a slower rate of increase.

CDC released 2017 state- and territory-specific data on adult obesity prevalence using self-reported information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) uses these data to inform the public about the prevalence of obesity in the state, track changes over time and support planning of public health interventions to reduce obesity.

People who are obese face an increased risk for a range of serious diseases and health conditions, including high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease and cancer. Preventing obesity requires changes in the food and physical environments, personal behavior and social norms. Research estimates that obesity cost the state $2.8 billion in 2009 dollars.

SHIP, which is active in all 87 counties and 10 tribal nations, spends $17.5 million per year from Minnesota’s Health Care Access Fund to support grant funding for local efforts to create healthier communities. From August 2016 to September 2017, SHIP communities worked with more than 4,000 partner sites across Minnesota.

SHIP works across Minnesota to implement locally led strategies that expand access to healthy food and physical activity in neighborhoods, schools, worksites and health care settings. It also supports state initiatives to improve and expand bike and pedestrian infrastructure and national efforts to promote walking and walkable communities.

Throughout the Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Community Health Services area, SHIP has supported healthy changes in local schools, worksites, food shelves, farmer’s markets, health care organizations and communities and has been a vital component for giving residents the opportunity to be healthy.

Crow River Area Breastfeeding Coalition sponsoring the Annual Rock ‘N Rest breastfeeding and family space during the McLeod County Fair August 15th through the 19th.

B & B sports provided an air-conditioned ice house, with access to electricity. A changing table and supplies are also available for use during the fair. This was the perfect respite for bringing your child out of the hot sun, or a space to express breast milk when needing to be away from your baby.

The trailer was once again a big hit and it received some nice positive feedback from families who utilized the space.

“Thank you so much. This was absolutely wonderful to be able to use and nurse my son in. Thank you, thank you!”

“This made nursing in public wonderful.”

“Thank you! Great place to nurse when I have 5 other kids in tow! Also made tandem diaper changes easier with one child able to walk around safely at a time.”

“This is so great you guys do this! I’m so grateful! I’ve never felt so comfortable at a fair before. Thank you!” –Mother of a 4 week old son

“This was perfect for us!”

“What a great find! I appreciate the lower distraction place to nurse my 2 month old. Thank you!”

“I truly appreciate this! I wasn’t expecting this wonderful gesture and I was worried about where I would nurse my baby. Thank you so much!”

“Second use this week. Nursing a 13 month old to soothe when she’s grumpy and hot in public is no small feat! Thank you for providing a great, comfortable place-the other kids enjoyed the freedom and couches as well!” – Mom of 5 and 1 on the way

“This is so amazing! Nursing 14 month twins in the heat is awful. This made me trip to the fair a little less stressful! The bottled water is a great idea.  Thank you, again.”

“This place is amazing and thoughtful. I don’t mind nursing in public, but having a safe space that’s also quiet so my son doesn’t get distracted was wonderful. I also loved the water since nursing moms are always trying to hydrate.”

“Thank you so much for providing a cool and quiet place to feed my baby. SO appreciated!”

“Thank you very much! So nice to have a nice, clean and quiet place to feed my baby. Love it!”

“Love a nice, cool place with no distractions for my baby to eat! 10 months strong!”

A BIG thank you to B and B Sports and all those support the work of the Crow River Breastfeeding Coaliton.

Even though Minnesota is seen as a rich agricultural state, not everyone has access to healthy and affordable food. In some communities, finding fresh food means traveling long distances from home or paying unaffordable prices. Too many Minnesotans cannot find fresh fruits and vegetables near their homes or what they can find is limited and expensive. We need communities that support our healthy choices. We all need access to fresh fruits and vegetables. We need healthy choices in our workplaces and communities. Our children deserve to be offered healthy choices in school. Across Minnesota, communities are working together through the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) to expand healthy eating and active living opportunities. With this concern in mind, the Minnesota Department of Health, Meeker McLeod Sibley Community Health Service and community partners like Meeker McLeod Sibley Healthy Communities are working to increase access to and the selection of healthy foods to improve health and reduce chronic diseases for all by implementing community-based healthy eating strategies.
The goal of the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) is to help Minnesotans live longer, healthier, better lives by preventing risk factors that lead to chronic disease. MMS CHS and the Meeker-McLeod-Sibley Healthy Communities Collaborative have been working for the past 4 1/2 years to help create good health where residents, live, work, learn and play. They are working together on making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice! You can find out about the work they do together at http://www.mmshealthycommunities.org/